Women and Gender Studies

While dialogue and policy on Black children in the UK education system typically focuses on Black boys, there is little research centring the unique experiences of Black girls in British schools. Of the research that exists, we often see a ‘copy and paste’ application of the educational experiences of Black girls in America, where more substantial research exists. The vital differences and visceral nuances of Black girlhood in Britain are neglected in such studies.

This piece of research sits as a corrective. It builds on See Us, Hear Us: On girlhood and growing up Black in Lambeth, a pilot research study commissioned by Milk Honey Bees in 2023, which explored the complexities, nuances and experiences of girlhood whilst living in the London Borough of Lambeth.

This report was written by Njilan Morris-Jarra and Ebinehita Iyere, with research undertaken by 6 peer researchers and co-ordinated by Sophie Arinde. Milk Honey Bees is a creative and expressive safe space for Black girls to flourish and put H.E.R (Healing, Empowerment and Resilience) first.

This policy paper highlights how the 12 critical areas of concern from the Beijing Platform for Action have progressed or faced continuing entrenched barriers and dealt with new challenges in the 30 years since the United Nations’ Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing. The focus is specifically on how gender inequality and disability exclusion both compound and create unique concerns for women and girls with disabilities.

What does it take to persuade policy makers to make real progressive change? Kath Ford explains how Oxford University’s Young Lives study found success with a combination of robust longitudinal data, translating research into policy influencing and, crucially, relationships built painstakingly...

Drawing on first-hand testimonies and regional dialogues, this report unpacks the deep-rooted, multifaceted backlash against women’s rights and feminist activism across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It […]

What are the impacts of extractive industry and militarization on women in Colombia, and which alternative ecological and sustainable visions are women defenders creating to defend the environment and their lands? LIMPAL Colombia has conducted recent research (disponible en español) in Meta, Bolivar, Guaviare, Caquetá, and Cauca, analyzing how Colombia can advance a development model that is just, sustainable, and defends life and dignity.

Some thoughts on the recent judgement by the Supreme Court

Our response to the new NPCC Sex Work National Police Guidance, released after a closed consultation in 2024.

This inaugural lecture

Professor Tiziana Leone

Published on: 27 Mar 2025

will look at key issues in the study of women’s health through the lens of reproductive histories, looking at both contingent and cumulated events to include physical and mental shocks such as conflict and disasters which would eventually have an impact later in life.

The overview will start with the challenges of studying this topic in a low resource settings. It will then focus on key challenges and priorities in social science research from menarche to menopause and beyond going via key events such as abortion, maternal health care services in order to understand how women’s ageing process can be affected by their reproductive pathways.

The “Women in politics: 2025” map illustrates the underrepresentation of women in executive positions and parliaments as of 1 January 2025. The data reveal a discouraging outlook compared to 2024: while there has been only a fractional increase in the number of women parliamentarians, their representation in executive positions has declined compared to men, slowing down progress towards achieving equality in politics.

A policy report exploring how online services enable the abuse and harassment of girls.

In today’s blog, Dr Simon Buck and Professor Roger Jeffery reflect on the controversy surrounding the Elsie Inglis statue and invite us to engage in a critical conversation about Edinburgh’s imperial history.

This report provides comprehensive analysis of gender equality across the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), examining the Arab region’s progress, challenges and setbacks in achieving gender parity by 2030. Despite notable advances in education, health and essential services, critical disparities persist in employment, economic empowerment and the prevalence of violence and conflict, slowing progress towards gender equality. This report underscores the pivotal role of gender equality in driving SDG achievements and highlights the centrality of women and girls in shaping sustainable futures. It also addresses the interconnections between the SDGs, providing regional and subregional evidence of both progress and persistent inequalities. A key focus is the importance of sex-disaggregated data, particularly from administrative sources and specialized gender surveys, which remain limited in the region. By emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensive gender-related data, the report offers strategic policy recommendations aligned with the Beijing Platform for Action, calling for concrete governmental action to close the gender gap and advance women’s empowerment.